“George Harrison: Be Here Now”

by Patrick Pearse on November 17, 2020

This month is the 50th anniversary of the release of George Harrison’s masterpiece All Things Must Pass, on November 27th, 1970. That recording remains the best selling album by a Beatle to this day and showcased the musical genius of George Harrison.

George Harrison, 1970, England. Photo by Barry Feinstein.

Rizzoli has just published a stunning book, George Harrison: Be Here Now, which features the photographs of Barry Feinstein, and is edited by Chris Murray who also wrote the Introduction.  The book also features a Foreword by George’s friend Donovan.

George Harrison and Donovan, Castlemartin, Ireland, 1972. Photo by Stewart Lawrence.

Here is the press release from Rizzoli for George Harrison: Be Here Now

GEORGE HARRISON: BE HERE NOW
Photographs by Barry Feinstein
Edited & with an introduction by Chris Murray Preface by Donovan Hardcover / 8.5” x 11” / 208 pages
250 color photographs
$45.00 U.S. / ISBN: 978-0-8478-6775-2 Rizzoli New York / October 2020

All Things Must Pass, The Concert for Bangladesh, and Living in the Material World comprise George Harrison’s solo career “triple crown.” These three albums, produced from 1970-1973, defined Harrison’s creative and prolific genius as a musical artist after the break up of Beatles. Photographer and Harrison’s friend Barry Feinstein was there to document it all. Coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the release of All Things Must Pass, GEORGE HARRISON: BE HERE NOW contains never-before-seen photographs from Feinstein’s archive as well as ephemera relating to these seminal releases.

Among Feinstein’s best known and most iconic photograph is Harrison in his wellies surrounded by garden gnomes at his home Friar Park, which graces the cover of All Things Must Pass. Serving as the official photographer of the Concert for Bangladesh, Feinstein’s exclusive access allowed him to capture Harrison and his friends. Among those musical artists were Bob Dylan, Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, and more. They performed for a cause that would raise over $12 million for UNICEF, setting the stage for the concerts that would follow such as Live Aid, Farm Aid, and more.

Govinda Gallery director and author Chris Murray chronicles Harrison’s soulful, bohemian spirit and shares details of the singer-songwriter’s life that connects readers with these intimate photographs. The preface by the musical great, Donovan, further establishes Harrison’s transcendence and enlightenment, calling out the truth in all of Harrison’s songs: “The ever-present wisdom path which leads to the awakening of love . . . asleep within us all.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barry Feinstein (1931–2011) was an American photographer who helped create more than 500 album covers and worked with a who’s who list of icons including Marlene Dietrich, Bob Dylan, Judy Garland, Charlton Heston, Jayne Manseld, and Steve McQueen. His photos of celebrities, and such politicians as John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, appeared in national publications, including Time, Esquire, and Newsweek. Chris Murray is a writer and founder of Govinda Gallery. This is his 20th book. Donovan is a Scottish singer and songwriter best known for his hit songs “Catch the Wind,” “Sunshine Superman,” and “Mellow Yellow.”

George Harrison: Be Here Now is available from Amazon. Barry Feinstein’s photographs are available through Govinda Gallery.

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